Newark
September 6, 2019
Over the past two years, NJPHK has supported the “Believe in a Healthy Newark” conference. “The conference is designed to help the larger community become aware of and involved in building a culture of health in Newark,” said Dr. Denise Rodgers, Believe in a Healthy Newark grant recipient and Vice Chancellor, Interprofessional Development, Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences. About 400 participants representing community-based organizations, business, academia, health care institutions and the school system attended the event in 2018. NJPHK’s Dr. Darrin Anderson served on the steering committee and, in the past, moderated panel discussions on leveraging data and how to collectively make an impact in the community. The 2019 Believe in a Healthy Newark Conference will be held on September 26. For more information, contact Mary Long at Healthynewark@gmail.com SHARE:
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March 9, 2018
The NJ YMCA State Alliance and New Jersey Partnership for Healthy Kids are partnering with Nestlé to pilot the Nestlé Start Healthy/Stay Healthy parent education program in five YMCA pre-schools throughout New Jersey. Start Healthy/Stay Healthy educates parents and caregivers about the nutritional needs of children during their first 1,000 days of life—from conception to age two. Sue Cornell, Healthy U Director for the NJ YMCA State Alliance, said the goal of the program is to “create conditions and opportunities that develop a foundation of healthy habits for life.” “More than 20% of children in the U.S. between the ages of two to five are overweight or obese, which increases the likelihood that they will be overweight adults. Early care and education programs, such as pre-k, child care centers and Head Start, can directly influence what young children eat and drink, encourage physical activity and promote healthy habits,” explained Cornell. […]
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October 2, 2017
The first Believe in a Healthy Newark Conference was held on Thursday, September 28, from 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM at the New Jersey Institute of Technology in Newark. “The conference was designed to help the larger community become aware of and involved in building a culture of health in Newark,” said Dr. Denise Rodgers, Believe in a Healthy Newark grant recipient and Vice Chancellor, Interprofessional Development, Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences. About 400 participants representing community-based organizations, business, academia, health care institutions and the school system attended the event. NJPHK’s Dr. Darrin Anderson moderated a panel discussion on how to collectively make an impact in the community. Panelists included Marissa Davis, Live Healthy Trenton, Valeria Galarza, Get Healthy Camden and Lisa Sheetz, Live Healthy Vineland. The session focused on cross-sector collaboration to address specific social and complex community problems. The panel also highlighted local collective impacts as well as […]
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May 1, 2017
The YMCA of Newark and Vicinity is hitting the road and offering free programs for residents across five wards via its newly branded Y on Wheels mobile van. The Y on Wheels van made its initial debut on April 29 during a free, YMCA Healthy Kids Day celebration at Military Park in downtown Newark. More than 400 children attended this annual event. The van provides high-quality fitness for children and youth such as basketball, arts & crafts. The van is also available for local health fairs and block parties. Working with community associations, schools, and organizations, Y on Wheels is one of the ways the YMCA of Newark is reaching out to address key issues affecting community health. “Our plan is to bring programs and services to our people,” said Michael Bright, President/CEO YMCA of Newark and Vicinity. “We have already scheduled 35 events from May through September.” For more […]
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November 2, 2016
First Lady Michelle Obama launched Let’s Move! to target childhood obesity. Now the movement is championing health through outdoor family activities and advocating greater involvement in our nation’s parks and other outdoor spaces. Newark is one of the 50 cities that received funding for an AmeriCorps member who is charged with building partnerships with community organizations and state and federal public lands in the area to get more youth outside. Kiana Thornton is the AmeriCorps member coordinating the two-year, Let’s Move! Outside initiative awarded to the YMCA of Newark and Vicinity and the City of Newark from the Department of Interior with support from American Express. Thornton is a recent graduate of Jersey City University where she majored in Psychology. She has long had an interest in working with community-based organizations and has jumped into her new role with great enthusiasm and determination. “Many organizations in Newark are already doing […]
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November 2, 2016
Eating a healthy lunch gives students the mental energy to focus on schoolwork in the afternoon. Whether children “brown bag” their lunch or select it from the school cafeteria, it’s important to include all the food groups to ensure a nutritious meal. “A school’s food service team must follow state requirements to provide a balanced meal,” explained Victoria Stewart, Newark Public Schools Health Coordinator and a registered dietician. “Children are offered a hot or cold lunch, each comprising carbohydrates, protein, vegetable, fruit, and milk. The key is encouraging children to eat it.” The same components should find their way into a lunch a child brings from home. Stewart advises making the nutritious choice — whole wheat or multi-grain in place of white bread — and packing sandwiches with lean meats like turkey or chicken, instead of bologna. Substituting string cheese or peanut butter for meat is also a wise alternative. […]
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September 29, 2016
Family Dining Comes to Newark Head Start Starting in September, breakfast and lunch at Newark Public Schools (NPS) Head Start programs will be more than a meal. Four Head Start preschools will begin initiating family style dining, whereby students, teachers, and teacher aides will gather at small tables, serve themselves, enjoy a nutritious meal and talk about the food and the experience. “It will be an opportunity for learning,” said Victoria Stewart, NPS Health Coordinator, and a registered dietician, who is charged with making this Head Start requirement a reality at NPS. “With family style dining, all types of skill development can come into play.” Beyond the obvious like following directions, fine motor skills, self-help skills and social skills, Stewart noted that meals also can prompt simple lessons in science, math, spelling, language development, and, of course, nutrition. An NPS readiness goal for its Head Start program is that “children […]
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September 29, 2016
Aramark’s Building Community (ABC) is a community involvement initiative where employees lend a hand to various local centers and projects to help strengthen and enrich lives. On Tuesday, September 20, the Greenwood Ave. Farmers Market was one of the stops Aramark employee volunteers made to support the market’s effort in promoting healthier living. As part of the project, volunteers built a farmer’s market stand; built, painted and planted flower beds, designed customer tote bags, and even sketched activities for kids on the blacktop. “We are so happy to see that Aramark is aligned with promoting access to healthy food and safer play areas for residents of the city of Trenton,” said Marissa Davis, project director for the New Hersey Partnership for Healthy Kids. Through the ABC grant, the YMCA was funded $5,000 to purchase essential supplies to help sustain the market’s value. Aramark started their Building Community Day back in […]
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July 20, 2016
Mothers are instrumental in shaping their kids’ diets; so it’s important that they understand how the food and behavioral choices they make can impact their child’s health from prenatal through childhood. A summer parenting workshop at the YMCA of Newark and Vicinity is bringing that knowledge to expectant mothers. The round-table discussion gets moms-to-be together twice a week to discuss pre-natal and post-delivery health and nutrition. Meanwhile, YMCA campers ages seven through 12, are also learning about nutrition and trying their hand at food preparation every Thursday. Christina Pin, a Montclair State University graduate student who is interning with the New Jersey Partnership for Healthy Kids-Newark (NJPHK-N) this summer, is facilitating the two nutrition programs. Pin is pursuing a Master of Public Health and is bringing her knowledge into the workshops to help educate kids and expectant moms. “Health Promotion Intervention Aimed at Increasing Nutrition Education,” is the formal title […]
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June 21, 2016
Originally posted on WBGO News By Ang Santos, WBGO News Newark. May 11, 2016 The city of Newark has launched First Lady Michelle Obama’s Let’s Move! Outside Initiative, to promote health through outdoor family activities. David Jayo, senior advisor to the U.S. Secretary of the Interior says Newark was one of fifty selected priority cities to represent the Let’s Move! Outside Initiative. “It really came down to three unique attributes that Newark has. One…amazing parks, really throughout the entire city, with Military Park right in the middle. The second is incredible non-profit partners that are dedicated towards conservation, and recreation in youth. The third is really incredible local leadership with a mayor that really cares deeply about this issue.” Mayor Ras Baraka says Newarkers can expect a series of park upgrades along with recreational activities to get kids outdoors. Newark YMCA president Michael Bright says the city can be a […]
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